Witches and Guards: The Unseen Shadow
by Dr. DATA EXPUNGED
Summary: A group of elemental queens with there guards go out on a quest to find a new threat to there world as they know it. The "thing" that is a threat is like a shadow. No ones knows who it is or what it is. Others join the company. Things go missing, people go missing. Will they all make it to the end or will they end up in Dis. (Dis is Hell)


Chapter 1 The Meeting

* * *

It was a mystical night. The moon was bright and filled like a bowl, the stars were winking in the dark purple, cloudless backdrop, shielded lightly by tall pine. In the garden like a meadow, there were 4 personages. The tallest was Ael, aged 19 seasons. She had curly blonde hair, deep sea blue eyes, light skin, and was wearing a shirt with leggings that had starfish on them, draped over with a hood. Next to her was me, Wailë, 18 seasons old. I had on a dress with curly designs and a long, flowy, hood. My skin has a sun-kissed summer glow with swaying golden brown hair, the kind of gold you would see if you looked up during autumn through shaded brown leaves. I possed silvery, bright blue eyes if it were as though the sunlight had bounced off the ocean, turning to a white glow masked by blue waves. After myself was Coe, the same age as myself but acts much more mature than the rest of us. She has a carefully crafted hood with a delicate Celtic dress that had a leaf design. She had earthy brown hair slightly curled and her eyes were an emerald tinge, like if you looked down in spring at the healthy, dark grass or dark oak leaves. Then there was Runya slightly younger than myself, but acted much more headstrong then most you might encounter. She was wearing a fiery dress with a short hood that ended at the small of her back. She had brown, curled hair and amber-hued eyes with tanned skin. Her eyes resembled the ring of fire her attitude was almost surrounded by.

"Hey Wailë, look who's coming." muttered Runya unenthusiastically. Just then a Bat swooped down and landed on Wailës staff.

"Always have to make a big entrance eh' " I giggled childishly.

"Oh so what" Hwesta gleamed as he changed into a human, "It's not like you're my boss."

"But she is!" they all shouted simultaneously and laughter arose in the garden as Willow the wisps filled the surrounding wood and ventured into the meadow.

"The others are coming." informed Hwesta, "They will all be here soon." Hwesta had short, straight, black hair, white colored skin, dark eyes, and was pretty tall for his age of 18 seasons and 3/4s of another. Like Hwesta said, the others did follow, starting with Amar.

"Surprise!", Amar said as he turned from a Horse to a human.

"Why do you always try to scare me? You know it never works." Coe said with a laugh.

"Because, Coe, I will keep trying until I do." retorted Amar. He had dirty-blond hair, baby blue eyes, tanned skin, glasses, and was shorter than he should be for his age (18 ½). Swiftly flowing, closer to the ground, was Kal, a fox. Kal cams up to Runya and rubbed against her leg like a dog would to his owner.

"Kal!" Runya said with a stifled giggle, "You're part human, remember?"

"Oh ya!" Kal said as he turned into a human. He had strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, white skin and he had on a suit with freckles across his nose and cheeks.

"It is nice to hear laughter at a time like this." said a grim auburn hair, brown eyed, olive-skinned boy in a t-shirt and dress pants as he changed from a stoat to a boy.

"Tip! Sta E!" Ael said as she ran up and hugged him.

"I missed you too." He said as he hugged her back. Tip had blonde hair, brown eyes, white skin, and he was wearing a t-shirt with jeans.

Then we all walked, as a group, to the round, wooden table in the middle of the garden. The table was set with tea, wine, cookies, and crumb cakes.

Chapter 2 Bad or Good News

* * *

"What news have you brought back from the High Elves?" inquired Coe after everyone had something to drink and eat.

"Well," muttered Hwesta.

"It really depends on what you want," stated Amar.

"Do you want good news?" Kal questioned shyly.

"Or bad news?" finished Tip, finished Kals inquiry.

"Just tell us!" Ael and Coe tiredly exclaimed together.

"Enough with the riddles and inquiry!" said Runya and I simultaneously.

"The Stetqis sensed a darkness in the magic in and around every living thing," said Amar.

All the girls gasped, including me. "How can this be!" cried Coe.

"Everything was fine just one month ago!" said Ael.

"No! We haven't had any trouble since… Him. It can't be him! Can it?" I thought out loud.

"If it's him we can fight him off again!" shouted from a very passionate Runya stirring up the rest with confidence. "We can banish him from The Isle of the Divine for good!" and with that, she slammed her fist on the round, mahogany table.

"There is one more thing..." drifted Kal as he looked at me sadly.

"What?" I said nervously, looking at all of the boys in turn, "What it is?"

All the boys turned toward Hwesta who was staying in the shadows and was suspiciously quiet. He looked up into Wailë's eyes. His eyes were dropping with sadness, it leaking into the bags under his eyes so much so that if you saw them you would look away and cry while a part of you wished you could replace the mental image with a happy-go-lucky puppy in a field instead of begging eyes that wished for something more. Quietly he walked up to me, took my hands in his, and began a carefully crafted speech.

"Airelle." he stated.

"What about Airelle?" I said slowly and nervously, worried about the millions of things that could possibly go wrong.

"Her coach didn't come back from her Uncles." dripped Hwesta as he trailed on, "No one could find her, her coach, or anyone else who was with her."

"No." I said in a whisper, "No! It can't be! It can't be!"

As I was talking my voice started to rise to anger, confusion, grief, despair, all the bad feelings one could be filled with. I kept repeating the same thing over and over and over and over until it was the only thing that filled the room beside worried glances, "It can't be! It can't be !" Soon I was flailing like a nervous wreck on the floor, yelling at Hwesta to let me go so that I didn't fall to the ground, already slouched in his arms. Saying that I had to find Airelle. Finally after that went on for, what felt like, 15 minutes I turned into his shoulder and sobbed. You see, when I first came to "The Isle of the Divine" no one welcomed me, accept Airelle. Airelle had become my friend, mentor, and then, my motherly figure.

I left early and Hwesta took me home. He offered to stay and I said yes. I gave him the room next to mine. In the middle of the night, when I awoke, I walked up to Airelles room, in the tower, giddy with the death, her death. There I sat in Airelles rocking chair, looked at the pictures of us, laid in Airelles bed, and then, fell asleep. In Airelles bed I slept better then in my own that night. In the morning, I woke up to find that Airelles rocking chair had been moved so it could look at the bed and door. Sitting in the rocking chair was a sleeping Hwesta. How he had known, I did not know. All I cared about was that he wanted to make sure I was alright.

Chapter 3 A Wintery Change

* * *

"Good Morning!" I greeted cheerfully, almost forgetting the previous night's brake down although it seemed no one else cared to mention it yet..

"Good Morning!" said Hwesta sleepily, "Did you sleep alright?"

"Yes. I did," I answered, " Though, I should probably get dressed."

"Right," said Hwesta as he stood up from the rocking chair, "I will be downstairs if you need me."

"Alright, I'll be down in a moment."

When the door shut I went to Airelles cupboard and choose the dress with floral lace over the skirt and a short hood. I left the room with one last look at the picture of Airelle and myself. As I went downstairs I heard talking. As I got closer to the bottom I could finally recognize the voices. They belonged to my friends.

"I went to the Stetqis myself last night." said Runya, "The darkness is spreading!"

"We have a plan," said Coe. Coe had a long fur dress that reached her toes and a hood made of the Tuftillian tree leaves.

"But we want to run it by Wailë and you first."

"Okay, she will be down in a minute," said Hwesta.

"I'm here." I said half-heartedly, "What is the problem?"

"The Spectral Imps are one the move," replied Tip. Tip had on a sweater, jacket, thick pants, and boots.

"They seem to be heading to Mooncliff, Midgrove," said Amar. Amar had a thick coat, high collar shirt, and long pants with boots.

"And there's something else," said Ael. Ael had on fur boots knee length, leggings, a blue dress with a water droplet belt, and a fur-lined hood.

"Mum!", said a very terrified looking maid, "You have to see what has happened!" Then she frantically ran out of the castle. Everyone followed starting with Me and ending with Ael. Outside everything was wrong. The kingdom was usually in fall, with flowers, leaves in the breeze, sunlight, and running water thru the courtyard. But it was quite the opposite. Outside it was snowing, colder than 50 below, and there were no flowers, sunlight, or running water. The moon was up and that was all the light we had outside in the town square of Dawnborne Haven.

"Ready my horse!" I said to one of the guards standing by the door. He ran off in the direction of the stables. Then I turned to the other guard.

"I need my staff, blade, and bow." I ordered, " And find my favorite quiver!"

"Yes, my Queen," he said as he ran into the castle.

"I must get into proper clothing.", I stated as I stalked inside with the maid. "I will be back in a few minutes."

Lucinda, the maid, and I went into my room. She helped me into my winter armor. It was a dress made of dragon scales with a feathery belt and skirt finish. I also wore my dove feather hood.

The guard came back and gave me my staff, blade, bow, and favorite quiver. I put them on my bed by the window and went back to Lucy. That is the nickname I gave her. I desperately hoped she likes it, my chest already filled with pride and triumph!

Chapter 4 New Friends and Old Ones Too

* * *

"Thank you, Lucy," I said sweetly once she had finished helping me put my hair in a bun and my boots on.

"You know my name?" Lucinda said with wonder, "How? I. I don't matter."

I looked at her perplexed, "That's not right. Whoever told you that doesn't know what there talking about."

"Thank you, mum," Lucy said with a smile, "But I don't think that's true."

"Come with me," I said happily, "I will show you otherwise. Even if that's the last thing I do."

"Yes, mum," said an excited Lucinda as she left to go to her room, "I will go and pack."

"You won't regret it, Lucy. I promise," I said as Lucinda and I hugged.

A wind guard walked down the hallway toward me. As he approached he said that the horse was ready. Then, I asked for a second horse. The guard nodded and barked at another, who left to go to the stables. The first guard then informed me that a person was in the ballroom asking to see me. I agreed to go and the guard insisted on being there himself.

"Now who is this girl that wishes to see me?" I asked on my way into the room.

"She says she knows you," answered the guard, "Said she was an old friend."

When I looked at the girl in the room an odd, old memory popped into my head. Then it left almost as fast as it came. As I was trying to find out who this strangely familiar person was, the girl spoke.

"Queen Gwilith, it has been a long time." Her voice was firm, soothing, confident, and deliberate all at the same time. This strange girl looked around my age, 18, she had beautiful, curly and bouncy hair, dark skin, with deep, black eyes. She had a timid look on her face, but the way she dressed was confident. Suddenly I remembered.

"Aria, Aria Echo? Is that really you?" This was truly momentous. The only other friend I had besides Ariel was a girl who came from the same place I, Wailë Gwilith, did, Earth. The girl was called Aria Echo. The girls squealed as they ran and hugged and cried. Two friends together again, promising to never part, ever, in the future.

"You must meet my other friends! They are amazing! You will love them, I just know it," I said confidently as we both walked arm in arm out the door. Aria was dressed in a jacket with a ripped t-shirt, skinny jeans with holes in them, and a hood with her hair down. In a way, Aria looked like a bounty hunter.

As we walked out the front doors Lucy, the maid, came running in a sundress, hiking boots, and a sun hat that tied around her head. She had a bag in her hand and the biggest, brightest smile I had ever seen. That made me happy.

"Ready to go?" I asked as Lucy came into ear shot.

"I sure am!" said Lucy with the biggest amount of joy in her voice.

Chapter 5 A Ride to Remember

* * *

"Why does our group keep growing?" Tip exasperated.

"I think that new people are nice for a change," Coe said sickly sweet, "Welcome to the 'Crazy Club'!"

"Stop," said Ael, "You'll scare them off! Sorry about Coe. Oh where are my manners? I am Ael, that is Coe, and Hwesta, and Runya, and this is Kal, and Amar, and Tip!"

"Hey!" they all said in unison.

The two girls looked at each other, then at me, and back again. The look in their eyes revealed a complicated mix of every emotion possible in one person at the exact same time. The two girls then laughed and started doing their rounds to introduce themselves to everyone.

"We must leave, soon the moon will fall!" I said cautiously. Then I looked at the sky and touched the face art on the sides of my cheeks. Right under my eyes I have two swirls ,one on each side, with four dots ,two on each side, lining the bottom portion of the swirls.

Everyone was quiet and observant as we walked to the stables. When we all were at the stables everyone got on a horse. And since Amar can change into a horse he did and let Coe Oris ride on him. All the horses had sleek coats with manes and tales that shimmered in the moonlight.

No one spoke as the group galloped down the path to the Crystal Cavern. Crystal Cavern isn't just a cave. Inside the cave is a huge forest with a maze of paths. One must know there way around the forest since birth just to have the smallest chance of navigating it. There were sounds in the forest, the rustling of trees, a crack of a twig or branch, and something else. Ah! A song! There was music in the forest. At first the company didn't hear it, but as we came closer to a large white glowing light in the middle of the forest the song grew louder. Finally I, at the front of the group, could finally hear the words, and understand them.

" _Come follow our voices, come follow the light._

 _Delivered us from this terrible fright._

 _We don't know who placed us in our bodies so._

 _We Ple, come and help us from down below."_

Soon the group came upon the source of the light, a large white diamond in the middle of a clearing surrounded by crystals of every color. I jumped down from my horse and walked toward the Diamond. The others followed in a large pack, all trying to stay behind each other. Runya was the first to leave the cluster and join me by the diamond.

"Stop!" said a disembodied voice, "You don't know what you are doing! Leave now and I will spare you!" The voice sounded like a girls. Then a girl jumped from a branch in the closest tree and landed in front of Wailë and Runya. Instinctively Wailë jumped back and hit the diamond as she did so. Then big balls of light streamed out of the diamond and orbited it. The lights from the other crystals dimed until there was only the white light from the diamond.

Then a voice spoke from the diamond, "I am the power source of all the forest, the crystals are my children, only one lives out of her body." Everyone looked at the girl with a purple, crystal headband brown hair, eyes, and olive-is colored skin.. Then as the diamond started to talk again all eyes went back to it. "I am known by many names, but here I am known as The Crystal King! Free my children and I will give you the greatest treasure of all, fail to do so and you will be lost in the forest forever!" Then the lights orbiting the diamond dissipated.

"Great," said the girl, "Now you will die. Why don't people heed my warnings. You all are imbeciles!"

Hwesta cam forward, kneeled down at My feet, and set down a map of the cavern. "We will split up into five groups." he said, "You and I with 3 other groups will go search for signs that my help us. The other group will try to find a spell to break them free. "

"O-Okay." I said in a hesitant voce. This wasn't normal for me, to be scared. I wasn't normally afraid. Nothing could even make me think about retreating, but this, this went too far. I had broken the first vow I ever made, " _I promise to never put my friends in a situation that I know we can never recover from._ " Now this was the last place I would ever see my friends. I just knew it. Here's where we would split up. Someone would be lost… forever. Suddenly Lucy's voice broke into my morbid thoughts.

"Who will be with who?" she asked in a timid voice.

"Lucinda, you will be with Aria. Amar, you will be with Coe. Runya, you will be with Kal. Tip, you will be with Ael. And crystal girl, you go with us," answered Hwesta in a strong, commanding voice.

"Where are the horses!" shrieked Lucy, "It will take us much longer now that me have no horses!"

"We can continue without them," said Kal.

"We have two legs so it is possible to walk," added Runya, "and walk we shall."

Chapter 6 Someone I never wanted to see, again

* * *

"I volunteer myself for finding a spell to break the curse!" said Coe excitedly.

"That is, ofcourse, if it is a curse," said Runya.

"What are you striking at, Runya?" asked Kal.

"She means," I said thoughtfully, "that it is a test." Now, as I thought more about that possibility the more it made sense. The _Crystal King_ could be guarding something. But what?

"Why would it be a test? What is it for?" asked Lucy. Then all eyes went on the girl with the purple crystal nails and headband.

"I wish I could give you some insight but I can't. I don't know why my father does this I just know that when he does… no one comes back," she said sadly. Then her eyes glazed over in thought.

"Well, will you help us or not, 'Crystal Princess'?" said an annoyed Runya.

Then the girl popped back into reality. "Okay, three things! First: I am NOT a PRINCESS! Second: I have a name, it's Adrian Ruth Panther. And third: I will help you on your quest to free the Crystal Kids." then she added quickly, "Not because I like you but because I want to get away for as long as possible."

"Well, Adrian Panther, you will be with Hwesta and I," I said sounding surprisingly calm, even to myself. Though I no longer felt scared. I felt a sudden surge of bravery, curiosity, and admiration for this new girl, Adrean. "Well, shall we get on with it?"

"We will split up and go down one of these paths, then we will meet back here in, let's say, an hour." said Ael.

"Got it!" Coe said cheerfully, "See you in an hour!" Then she opened her spell book and started to go through it.

Once everyone else had started on what they were told Hwesta, Adrean Panther, and I all started down the closest path. It was the path to the right of the Crystal King with the most crystals. As they walked Wailë couldn't help but look around in aw. There were trees taller then the sky, trunks bigger than a carriage, and everything was alive. Lights danced around their heads looking like streaks as they sped away giggling. The wind was singing an old folktale that, at some points, was in a dead language that no one would understand, accept the trees and plants. The flowers glowed and danced in an unfelt breeze. The trees whispered secrets in a language unknown. And a sudden feeling of home came about me. Soon I was thinking about dancing with the flowers, singing with the wind, whispering with the plants, and following the giggling lights. Then Adrian Panther grabbed my arm and said, "Don't look around at all the things that seem beautiful. 'One glance and all is gay. Another and death will follow'."

I then looked around once more, paying more attention, listening more carefully. Then the giggling from the lights sounded more like cackles and teasing. The song the wind sang had words like suffocate, and fall. The flowers that danced were actually being thrown and ripped from there place by a plant that looked like it had teeth that resembled a piranhas. The whispers of the trees seemed dark and ill-willed. The feeling of home faded away and was replaced with that strange fear I had before.

Apparently Hwesta noticed. He nodded at Adrian Panther as she passed, then he reached for my hand. His fingers brushed mine, then I abruptly pulled them back. Hwesta looked slightly taken aback. Then, after the shock of rejection left, he looked hurt more than anything. His dark, silver-gray eyes were solome. His face then became like an emotionless mask. And he regarded me, not as a friend or college, but as his queen, and he, the servant. It hurt me, to see him like this.

All of a sudden the forest went dark. I couldn't see anything. I reached for Hwesta but he wasn't there. My heart beat speed up, my breathing sounded like a freight train running faster than it should, my muscles tightened and the adrenalin gushed thru my veins. Everything was so much clearer. I saw every moovment, heard every crack of a stick, breath of an animal, the fay talking far back in the forest, then I prepared to run. I knew calling Hwestas' and Ruthtomights' names were useless. They weren't there, I just knew it. I don't know how, I I just did. I started to run. I ran, ran faster than I had ever done in my entire life, and I never looked back. I stumbled on roots, twigs, fallen branches, plants, and once in awhile, an animal. My mind started to go berserk. It felt like I had been running for hours. Then suddenly I ran into a small opening in the trees where the light was brighter than the sun in mid day was more pure than a crystal clear babbling brook running thru the forest at night. Standing in the middle of the otlet was the one person I never wanted to see again.

The man started to speak, "Nicole, I hear you have changed your name. What was it again? Raily, Walka…"

I interrupted him, "It's Wailë, Wailë Arabella Gwilith," I said forcing my voice to sound undaunted and formidable, "I thought you would never dare to show your face after, what happened."

"I died, don't you understand!" he said, his voice quivered, "I loved you, but it appears that the promise you mad, was false. Is it not, Nicole." He walked toward me and that is when I saw his feet were not touching the ground, but the light around him mad his figure dark, and ominous. All I could make out was that he had a human body but, wings of an angle, the color of the desert in spring. That is the only way I can describe the beautiful color of his wings. The bottom of the wings grazed his ankles and the top brushed his head.

I started to cry. The tears streamed down my face as I said, "I never left you, you left me. I begged god for his mercy, yet you left me. Why? That day was supposed to be our happiest! Wh… What happened? It was all such a blur. I… I don't remember." At the last two sentences my voice cracked, my throat was raw, and I choked on my own words.

"I am so sorry. I just got mad, and maybe I am a little jealous." He said as he came closer and placed a strong, soft hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

"Jealous? Of who?" I said hesitantly as I wiped away my tears and sniffled, "Hwesta? I don't love him."

"Don't or won't?" He said. "Also, why won't you mention my name? Took you a few years to pronounce it!" Then he laughed at the memory of me pronouncing his name wrong the whole time I was with him.

"Sikyatavo Mathis, but before I could pronounce it I called you Sika Mat."

"Hm. I miss you, and before I died you grew distant. Why?"

"That girl, Eun Jung Go, she liked you, you saw it. I saw it as well. Also, you loved her too, I know you did so DON'T deny it."

"Loved her, yes, but as a sister, not like how I loved you. Love you"

"Y You still love me?" I hiccuped.

"Of course, but your heart doesn't belong to me anymore, I know that now, and I must deal with it. I just want you to be happy. Remember, I will always love you, Nicole, not this Gwilith person you have come to be today. Good by." I knew that Sikyatavo was right. I love Hwesta and him, but not like how I love my Westy. (That is my nickname for Hwesta. He doesn't know that yet.)

"Whait, Good by? Please just a second longer! Anything! I have missed you." I leaned into him and hugged him wishing we could stay there forever. Then he kissed me, not on my check, nor my forehead, but on my lips. It was light, almost like a feather, and lasted for less than a second, but my lips tingled from the touch.

"You will see me again, I promise, in another time, another place, with families of our own." Then Sikyatavo left, the light receded, and I found my friends Hwesta and Adrian Panther, laying on the ground in front of me, asleep. I ran to Hwesta first, grabbed his hand, and silently pleaded for his forgiveness. It was too soon, still, to have another relationship with anyone but Sikyatavo. I couldn't, I I just couldn't.

"Wailë? What happened? I I just remember…" then his voice trailed off and his face became a mask once again. Tears threatened my eyes once more but I held them back. I couldn't let him see, I just couldn't show him the truth. Then I felt so alone, that alone you feel in a house, by yourself, at night, in a small room, with only one light on. The loneliness in a big house and only one person lives there. That loneliness, the kind you never forget, the kind that stays with you, forever.

"What happened? Oh! I don't how I hit my head. Maby aun a tree aur something. I don't understand? Where, exactly, are we?" Adrian Panther had gained the strangest accent I had ever heard. "Great! Now my accents back! Do you know how long it took me to train myself to sound native? Sooo long. Like 3 to 4 hundred years. The accent is strange here, almost unnatuaral, but full uf beaudee."

Then everyone stood up. Hwesta and I helped Adrian Panther onto her feet, then I did a healing spell to make the migraine go away.

After the healing spell, Adrian Panther told us to call her Adry, because it is what her "friends" called her. Apparently you help a person with a head injury and you are automatically best friends. This forest makes people strange, maybe mad! We started to leave when something caught my eye. Right where Sikyatavo was standing was a rock, half bared in the ground, with the ancient Divinian language. Thankfully, I studied it.

" _ㄊ⎏_ _எ_ _ㄊ_ _ᕒ_ _ၳ_ _ㄊ⎏_ _ᓙ_ _ໂၳ ∾எஎ_ _?_ _ઇஎ∾_ _ᐝ_ _ઇ_ _ㄊ⎏_ _ઇ_ _ᛀ ᛀ_ _எ_ _ᐝ ᵮ_ _ໂၳ_ _ᛀᵮᕒ_ _ઇஎ_ _ᛀ∾_ "

"What does it say?" Hwesta asked as he looked from the stone to me and back again.

I bent down to get a closer look. "It says," I answered thoughtfully, " that ' _The truth you seek lies within new friends'_ but friends is surrounded by the ancient sign which meant lie."

"So it means people who we met that we consider friends aren't really our friends." said Hwesta with a confused look in his eyes.

 _What could it be?_ I had no idea. _It could be uh, the fay that were flying over our heads, maybe one of the animales… No. Hm… OH! I got it!_ "It's the crystal fay!" I said hurriedly as I ran back down the path that I created. The path was just broken limbs, ripped up plants, and some footprints. Fast moving, no more dirt, only rock, footprints. With the burst of adrenaline that was coursing through my body it only took me what felt like a minute or two to get back to where we started. "Come on!" I shouted excitedly. I just need to see what it was hiding. Then I notice something was wrong.

Chapter 7 New Beginnings

* * *

I was the only one there. I looked at Ruth and Hwesta as they came panting my way. Hwesta saw the stress and anxiety in my contorted face. "There gone." I whispered under my breath. I was light headed. My breathing was uneven, staccato like, almost. Everything in the corner of my eyes became black and fuzzy. Next thing I know I hit the ground and everything goes dark. The light came back, but, I wasn't in the Crystal Cavern. A dark figure came out of the light. "Nicole, get up. There is more you have to do. The land needs you, the world, the sky's, the living, and the dead. Arise and continue down the path. Your friends are fine. Just go. You will see them again, soon." I couldn't tell if it was male or female or if it had an accent or not. Also, What did it mean, "the dead"will need me?

"Wailë! Wailë! Oh please get up! Please.." Hwesta was pleading. My head was on his lap. Ruth was pacing in circles around us muttering something I couldn't make out.

"You don't think you can get rid of me that easily, do you?" I stutterd teasingly. My voice was hoarse and my mouth was dry. I don't know how long I was out. It must have been for a few hours because there was a half eaten Crying Cithentral on a stick over the slowly dying fire.

"She's awake," Hwesta said as he looked up at Ruth, "Your awake!" He said a second time like it was finally sinking in. That I didn't die from shock. By the look in his eyes I could tell that something else was wrong.

"The others have not come, have they. And you don't think they will ever come." After a few moments he nodded his head. "So, should we continue?"

"Yes," he said under his breath, "Yes we should go. Do you want something to eat?" He nodded his head toward the fire. I shook my head and started to stand. We all walked up to the Crystal King, but stopped a few yards away. We stood there for a few moments in silence. Hwesta looked at me as if waiting for instructions. I nodded and he went up to the Crystal King and tapped its side. The light from the other crystals faded and three blue spheres of light orbited the crystal. Then I took out my sword and slashed each ball in half and half again as it came by. The crystal started to liquifi and slide off of a small, rock door in the ground. Ruth was the first to walk up to it. She opened it and looked inside.

"Well," Ruth said, "You've gone this far, and I want to leave." and with that she jumped inside. Hwesta followed only moments after, dagger in one hand, sword in other. With one last look around just to see if any of my sisters would show up I grabbed a nearby fallen branch about as wide as a golden clam (the currency of the divine) and jumped in after them. When the door closed there was no light so I usd a spell to create a ball of purple fire that floated just half a foot before us. It was a long narrow tunnel. So narrow that we had to walk in single file all the way down.

It had been around four continuances of walking and finally we stopped in a round room to rest. We must have been under water because there was a hole in middle of the roof that dripped water in a round, fountain possibly used to calm oneself during meditation or a ritual. The walls were the color of parchment and words were carved into the walls. The words in the walls kept changing into different languages. I couldn't sleep, so I took out the blade that I had in my boot and started carving the branch that I grabbed. I carved the story of my life, my loved ones, significant places, ect. I opened my spell book and thumbed through the pages until I got to page 135, _Writing Spell_. I pulled out a pouch with maroon, white, and black quartz and amethysts which I have had for as long as i've lived in The Isle of the Divine. I poured the contents into my hand. I put the pouch back onto my sid, hidden in my leather belt, and brought my book closer in front of me and started to chant.

" _The hlêoðorcwide ic pro tâcnian, sê hlêoðorcwide attraction with pron ðe ic write._

 _Let mîn winde lîcðêote inne them._

 _The hlêoðorcwide, lîesan ðâs nêotan wið lite._

 _Let all sê lôc âcnâwan again._

 _Of mîn lêohte, râd mîn êst, râd dôð sefa attraction with pron ðe ic lead._

 _So must ðæge pro libban de. "_

As I was chanting I went from just below a whisper to almost as loud as my normal voice to a slite shout. Luckily, Hwesta and Ruth were heavy sleepers. I chanted this 5 times, from whisper to shout. After the first full enchantment was siad I light started to glow from my hands which were moving in a fluid motion through the space in front of me to create the sign for air ?. The sign went down onto the staff that I carved. Suddenly, something happened. Something that wasn't supposed to happen during that spell, nor in my lifetime, or anyone else's.

From my heart came a string, the grey-blue color of a mortals soul. I gave a shout, Hwesta awok and sat up, immediately grabbing his sword. Ruth looked up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Then both their jaws dropped when the staff flew into the air with the coard, filling the triangle ⃤ . Then, suddenly, my crystals flew from my lap into the mix, forming the line down the middle, ―. The amethysts and quartz drifted toward the top of my staff. The rope twisted around the gems so that there was a spiked, ball-ish thing at the top of the staff. Then it started to plunge to the ground, but I caught it before it hit the ground and shattered.

"SUN OF A MOTHERLESS BEHEMOTH! What just happened?" shrieked a thunderstruck Hwesta.

"Well, that's ONE way to put it," said a dazed Ruth, "Wait. WHAT did you SAY?"

"He's Stazshinia, just go with it," I said, "Also, I have no idea what just happened." Then I looked down at this new creation that used to be a commonplace stave. What just happened? Why did it happen? What does it mean? Does it possess magical properties?

"You know what," said Hwesta "i'll take second watch, okay Whai."

Naturally, I was taken aback. Did he think of me not adequate? "No, I am completely capable…" he cut me off.

"You need rest more than I do. Also, I am your assigned guard since birth, it is my duty, my pledge was to protect you till death. Sleep." and with that he stood, turned away, and leaned against the fountain.

"Good night Westy" I said as I lay down and closed my eyes.

Chapter 8 That Laugh

* * *

I am running through a castle. Looking for something, no, someone. I can't remember who I am looking for. I think it is a she. I have to find her. I turn a corner and stumble down the first steps in a long, intricate, spiraling staircase. At the bottom of the stairs I find a passageway of doors. Each door different, yet, similar. I was running, running. As I got closer to the end it seemed to get further. I had to get to the last door. Finally, I get to the door. I hear a scream. My name is called. I told her I was coming. She said hurry. I placed my hand on the doorknob. I jerked my hand back. The stench of burning flesh flooded my senses. I looked down to see my hand red and bleeding.

Suddenly, I start to fall. I reach my hand out to grab onto the door handle. I miss the handle and leave a dark crimson, streaking hand print on the lower half of the door. I hear a strange, mechanical laugh, then blackness. I awoke to see a dark figure over me.

"Frêa, ic pro ðingian orgilde êow, âðrôwian nealles lîesan me steorfan!" I scream. Then a sudden pain hits the pit of my stomach and I hear that sickening mechanical laugh. That laugh echoes in my head and fades like the sun into the horizon. Darkness overcomes me and immobilizes me.


End file.
